At the end of the project “Women of good energy” implemented by RES Foundation, on December 14 and 15 in Zlatibor, an educational conference was held as a final step in the process of building the capacity of women employed in LGUs in Serbia dealing with issues of energy, energy efficiency, climate change and environmental protection.
The purpose of the seminar was primarily networking, creating mutual connection and empowerment of women employed in these positions in cities and municipalities in Serbia, and for the purpose of exchanging experiences, information, providing support and examples of good practices and solutions in introducing a gender perspective into local energy and environmental policies.
The seminar brought together over 20 women employed in LGUs across Serbia: energy managers, sector managers, inspectors and members of City Councils in charge of energy and environmental issues, and during the seminar representatives of cities and municipalities had the opportunity to:
- Raise awareness of gender roles and improve understanding of the different needs, habits and attitudes of women and men regarding the state of the environment, resources and energy in Serbia
- Improve their knowledge about the (non)existence of gender aspects within the current energy, climate and environmental protection policies
During the seminar, the findings of research on the energy resource needs of women users of public buildings conducted during the project in 4 selected cities (Niš, Kragujevac, Kraljevo and Užice) were presented, and a proposal for gender-sensitized measures to improve energy efficiency in public buildings was presented.
The participants of the seminar also had the opportunity to become more familiar with the concept of energy poverty, and the ways in which this phenomenon affects women and other vulnerable groups, but also with potential measures to improve the position of women affected by energy poverty.
